Andrew Koster - Master the Wood Pellet Grill: A Cookbook to Smoke Meats and More Like a Pro

Copyright 2019 by Rockridge Press, Emeryville, California

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Rockridge Press, 6005 Shell-mound Street, Suite 175, Emeryville, CA 94608.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering medical, legal, or other professional advice or services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the Publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an individual, organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the Publisher endorses the information the individual, organization or website may provide or recommendations they/it may make. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (866) 744-2665, or outside the United States at (510) 253-0500.

Rockridge Press publishes its books in a variety of electronic and print formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books, and vice versa.

TRADEMARKS: Rockridge Press and the Rockridge Press logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Callisto Media Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Rockridge Press is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

Interior Designer: Jan Derevjanik

Designer: Antonio Valverde

Art Producer: Janice Ackerman

Editor: Natasha Yglesias

Production Editor: Matthew Burnett

Production Manager: Jose Olivera

Photography: 2019 Thomas J. Story. Food styling by Karen Shinto

: Courtesy of Andrew Koster

ISBN: Print 978-1-64152-822-1 |

eBook 978-1-64152-823-8

R0

For my children, Brianna, Chloe, and Andrew. You each have your own special way of motivating me each day to be a better man and dad.

CONTENTS

My story of how I came into the pellet grill world isdifferent than mosti was born into it. My father was one of the original employees of Traeger industries when they first shifted from pellet stoves to pellet grills. We started cooking on pellet grills when they were first introduced on the market and have been using them ever since.

My connection to the pellet grill world doesnt end there. My dad remained an employee of Traeger for over 30 years and later moved to Dansons, the makers of Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills. My first job as a young man was shoveling lava rock to be used for pellet grill drain pans. When I needed money for a car, I rode my bike from Silverton High School to the Traeger barn and built the boxes that their Lil Tex grills were shipped in.

After graduating from Oregon State University, I truly tied myself to the pellet grill industry and community. I rejoined Traeger in 2011 as a Customer Service Manager and served in that role for five years. I took the same position with Dansons in 2017, before becoming their Technical Manual Writer. I am still with Dansons, working in Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills product management.

I have seen nearly everything there is to see in the young life of the pellet grill. I have heard the success stories and the horror stories. I learned every Traeger grilland, later, Pit Boss and Louisiana Grilllike the back of my hand, and have not only worked to pass that knowledge along in education and customer service, but also in product development and modification. I was directly involved in the development of the Traeger Outdoor Fire Pit, Traeger Timberline series, Traeger Century series, the original line of the Traeger Pro Series, and the current editions of Louisiana Grills and Pit Boss controllers.

Pellet barbecue has not only been my career, but also an extension of my life. I spend every day smoking and grilling, and documenting it on my Instagram, @AndrewKoster. I love spending time with my family and friends, grilling and having a good time. Experimenting with new food is one of my greatest passions. I enjoy trying something new, failing, and knocking it out of the park the next time.

My approach to pellet grilling is all about learning the grill, understanding how it works, and using the grill to do the magic for you. I love recipes with short prep times and long smoke times. I take note of how something cooks and use that to my advantage the next time.

In this book we will examine what it requires to take that step from backyard pro to pitmaster and put those practices to use. Well dive into what it takes to fully understand your pellet grill, how it functions, and how to use it to make the best smoked meat youve ever had in your life.

This book contains world-class instruction on how to become a pitmaster, as well as some recipes the pros use, but we will do so much more than just learn recipes. Well explore multiple ways of cooking the most popular cuts, giving you the tools you need to smoke specifically to your personal taste. We will dig into the different methods of smoking, so you can become a well-rounded griller.

Well also learn about our grills, mastering which methods work best with which cuts, and about the tools that can help make the whole process easier.

You will find tips and tricks throughout this bookuse them, and not just for the recipe they appear with. The versatility of these tips and tricks of the trade is amazing, and that is all due to the versatility of the wood pellet grill. Wood pellet smoking is a process, and the lessons youll learn throughout this book will set you well on your way to becoming a true grill master.

The major benefit of cooking on a pellet grill is that it combines all the best features of an offset smoker, convection oven, and broiler, resulting in delicious, smoke-flavored, and moist food.

DANIEL THIESSEN,

Founder and CEO, Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills, Pellet Grill Innovator and Entrepreneur